Unhappy w/4E monster manual..3PP pls. publish monster books pronto!!

I've been going over my collection of pre-4E adventures as fodder for my campaign...and I keep hitting the "monster speedbump"

And a lot of those monsters, if they weren't in the 3.5 MM, they were in Tome of Horrors. It's too bad that because of the GSL Necromancer won't be doing a 4E Tome of Horrors, as I was drooling over the possibility. Hopefully they'll find the new GSL agreeable enough to publish Folio of Fiends, but....

I NEED MY OLD-SCHOOL D&D MONSTERS AND I NEED THEM NOW!!

Kruthiks? Banshrae? Swordwings? To me they're the Tojanada/Ravid/Phantom Fungi of 4E. They got no "traction" in my imagination.

Where's the frogs? apes? carnivorous dinosaurs? Less "unique snowflakes" and more meat and potatoes archetypical swords & sorcery beasties please.

I've been making my own monsters. I've been scouring the internet for fan conversions/creations. I frantically read reviews of 4E adventures to find out what monsters are within them.

I am planning on buying adventurers vault soley for the shark/triceratops/giant lizard/etc stats (ps. more than just a bare-bones stat-block would have been greatly appreciated...)

But....I was able to DM my 3.5 campaign using MM I & Tome of Horrors for 95% of the monsters. I don't want to deal with a unwieldy stack of books/printouts/adventures and a laptop while DMing in order to have a respectable selection of foes.

I've been really happy with 4E otherwise, but as a 1st ed. D&D/RE Howard/Fritz Leiber/CA Smith fanboy, the 4E Monster Manual selection is a huge disappointment.

I agree. I find myself mulling over the same few monsters over and over again for fight encounters. "Hmm my PC's are 5th level... that means... err an ork, a couple wolves, a spellcaster... and 6 minions. Still level 5? well... um whats in their power range? An ork, a couple wolves, 2 spellcasters, 4 minions... OH that was a little too hard damn spell casters"

I can't wait until I see a couple more monster manuals. I LOVE monsters!

My name is Kamikaze Midget, and I endorse this message.



The 4e MM is a bucket of fail. I understand that 3PP's aren't happy with the GSL at the moment, and I can't blame them, so I'll just blame WotC for making a sucktastic MM and then making it very very difficult for high-quality 3PP's to fill the sucking chest wound at the heart of this edition for me.

(I'm not sure it needs to be pointed out, but, of course, YMMV -- some people love the 4e MM. I am not one of those people).

I'm glad to see us talking about the frog-dinosaur issue out in the open now.

The only monster I can think of that I would quite like to see again is the Charnel Hound, everything else nice when they come out but not something I am hoping for.

Kunimatyu said:

I'm glad to see us talking about the frog-dinosaur issue out in the open now.

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A 7th level Ankylosaur and a 9th level Stegosaur?

I'm staggered by the depth, range and creativity of the Monster Manual.

As well, they did a great job making already cool archetypical monsters like panthers and giant scorpions "cooler"

Blair Goatsblood said:

I've been really happy with 4E otherwise, but as a 1st ed. D&D/RE Howard/Fritz Leiber/CA Smith fanboy, the 4E Monster Manual selection is a huge disappointment.

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Do you have any specific critters from 3e or 1e you wanted converted? I'd be happy to do so on a case-by-case, because pages 184 and 185 of the DMG make it obscenely easy. I've been creating monsters on the fly for months now, and it's worked exceptionally well, thanks to those guidelines. It should serve quite well until more 3rd party and WotC material is released.

If there's one thing I've been most pleased with in 4e, it's the ease of DMing on the fly, and the monsters are a big part of that.

Henry said:

Do you have any specific critters from 3e or 1e you wanted converted? I'd be happy to do so on a case-by-case, because pages 184 and 185 of the DMG make it obscenely easy.

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Thank for the kind offer Henry, although I feel guilty about asking someone else to do the "heavy lifting" for free when I've been cranking out monsters using the guideline from the DMG.....regardless, FROGHEMOTH!!!

Goodman Games has the answer:

Blackdirge's Dungeon Denizens.

Fallen Seraph said:

The only monster I can think of that I would quite like to see again is the Charnel Hound, everything else nice when they come out but not something I am hoping for.

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Here's an example of what a Charnel Hound might look like, with a little bit of creative license from me to give an elite monster (as suggested) a little more spice for when he becomes bloodied, and to give him something that would make him a challenge for 2 equal level PCs. Use one of these bad boys against 13th level PCs, along with some controllers or artillery; failing that, use the page 174 rules to drop or raise him a few levels.

Charnel Hound Level 13 Elite Soldier
Huge Shadow Animate (Undead) XP 1,600
Initiative +10 Senses Perception +8, Darkvision
Fearful Presence (fear) aura 2; This aura of terror causes all opponents in this area to suffer a -2 to all attacks on the Charnel Hound.
HP 264; Bloodied 132
AC 29; Fortitude 27, Reflex 24, Will 23
Immune Disease, Poison; Resist Necromantic 10; Vulnerable Radiant 10
Saving Throws +2
Speed 8
Action Points 1
(M) Grave Bite (Standard; at-will)
+20 vs. AC; 3d6+6 damage.
m -- Hunger for the Living (Standard; recharge 6) ♦ Necromantic
+18 vs. AC; The Charnel Hound bites and attempts to suck the life force from its target; 4d8+6 necromantic damage.
m -- Thirst for the Dead ♦ (only triggered if an attack reduces target to zero hit points)
+18 vs. Fortitude; The Target is absorbed into the Charnel Hound's body. All saves to avoid death are at -1. Any effect the raises the target's hit points above zero causes them to be ejected from the Charnel hound in a random square adjacent to the Charnel Hound.
m -- Hunger unabated (Immediate Reaction) ♦ (triggered when first bloodied; encounter)
The Charnel Hound's Hunger for the Living ability immediately recharges and the charnel hound gets one free attack with it.
Alignment Evil Languages
Str 26 (+14) Dex 17 (+9) Wis 14 (+8)
Con 20 (+11) Int 6 (+4) Cha 8 (+5)

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